Millionyoung Replicants

Reverb. That's really what it takes to sum up the sound of Millionyoung in a word — well, reverb, some synth goodness, jangly guitars, and a whole mess of diverse elements may be a more accurate description, but that’s hardly a single word, so it doesn’t much count. That's all on display with Replicants, the first full-length Millionyoung release, which follows a couple EPs; expectations, as a result, have been strong.

Replicants is without too many moments of weakness, but the writing’s not particularly stellar (the pun was unintended, but it remains for posterity’s sake.) It tends to draw on a bit, and the reverb can make for a sonically frustrating, headache-inducing experience. There’s not a lot of room here to maneuver, unfortunately. There aren’t any elements that grate at the ears, but Millionyoung’s debut full-length could do with some perspective. That said, taking Replicants in chunks can be very rewarding, as the writing is generally of some quality, and there’s a certain intuitiveness to the sound.

The Replicants sound is sort of eponymous. It's sort of android-inflected in its own way — and while I'm not entirely certain androids are the best of dancers, they'd probably be inclined to here. The album points toward a sound where the "false" and the "real" become confused and entangled, even if its not entirely there yet. No, Replicants is packed with some real natural pop tendencies, which betray an entirely false approach. There's a bit of an electronic facade to the whole thing, and it masks a bit of that pop nous, but it doesn't hide it all.

Peeking out from the cracks is some guitar with a bit of jangle to it as it tries to avoid getting drowned in a sea of synthesized drum beats, but it makes the album. Millionyoung refrains from too many of the bombastic tendencies of electronic music as a result, and we're left with something quite listenable.